


Feathers of Love

by Krambi003



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 15:45:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2552987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krambi003/pseuds/Krambi003
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asami, the black panther, thinks he will get a yummy snack, when he meets with the joyful bird, Aki. But nothing will go as he thought that it would.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feathers of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Story where Asami is a [black panther](http://i73.servimg.com/u/f73/14/36/45/70/turned10.png) and Akihito a [bird](http://images-ici-ailleurs.blogspot.fr/2010/06/oiseaux-de-paradis.html) .
> 
> To Amelita and all the others, who might enjoy this kind of story.

_Viewfinder_ and its characters © Yamane Ayano

**Characters:** [Asami](http://i73.servimg.com/u/f73/14/36/45/70/turned10.png) ; [Akihito](http://images-ici-ailleurs.blogspot.fr/2010/06/oiseaux-de-paradis.html) ([*](http://media.cdnws.com/_i/8844/990/1/94/noir.jpeg))

**Rating:** G

**Genre:** AU, 'Fantasy'

**Warning:** Unbeta'ed ; Talking animals.

 

*****

"So shiny in the sun!... Wow that's pretty!"

Slowly he opens his golden eyes, looking for the brazen face that had the guts to whistle at him in such a cheeky way, disrupting his sacred catnap of the middle morning.

He just needs to lift up his head slightly to find the culprit. The most colorful bird he has ever seen stands on top of the fence of his enclosure, his round eyes scrutinizing every hair of his black fur.

Unaware of the predatory glint that has started to burn brighter than usual in them once the golden eyes has spotted him; the beautiful bird follows his trail of thoughts.

"Not only shiny.... looks smooth too. Me like what's smooth. Me wanna touch the smoothy-smooth hair!"

Only then he looks at the powerful feline's face.

"Ya don't mind, right?"

To think that this bird believes he could be safe if he were to come that close to him surprises Asami, but if his soon-to-be morning's snack is willing to spare him the effort of jumping to catch him, he sure will not try to prevent him to do so.

"As long as it does not tickle."

"Aaaw OK. I'll make it so it doesn't tickle..."

He puffs out his chest, puts his right wing on his heart and solemnly states.

"I promise."

The lovely bird flies down close to the black panther.

"My name is Akihito, but they all call me Aki. And you?"

"I do not intend to call you."

The cute bird laughs in a funny trail of chirps.

"Ha-ha... No big boy, you got me wrong here! I meant what's your name?"

That was a first for him, a prey that wanted to know the name of the one that was going to murder him. Asami was growing amazed at how oblivious to the whole situation the joyful bird seemed to be. This was in a way rather amusing, and since it was not so long ago, when he had been given delicious meet for breakfast, he was in no need to rush the killing.

"Asami."

"Asami... mmmh... Sounds good. I like it!"

_*As if I care if you like my name or not!*_ is what Asami would have loved to say and even think, but he finds himself abnormally pleased to hear this blunt assertion, which leaves him speechless.

The little bird comes nearer hopping quickly to reach for the so tempting black fur as he says.

"Alright, so be brave now - tickle is only in the head - I'm going to touch you."

An overwhelming warm feeling grows from where the bird's wing caress his fur up to his heart, making this part of him that was getting colder everyday, feel alive again.

Clearly enjoying the black hair's touch under his colorful feathers, Aki let his wing brush Asami's fur from his neck to his hind legs not once or twice but six times before he stops and comes gently poking on the dark snout.

Only then the panther reopens his eyes, golden irises meeting with smiling black ones. Now was the moment, when he should be biting down the innocent creature, having just a few tiny feathers spread on the ground as only evidence that a careless bird intruded on his territory today. But Asami remains motionless and watches silently the little bird that looks around as if searching for something.

"Oh there's somethin' else I wanna ask you."

"Mmmh?"

"That big tree in your territory has fruits that look delicious to me. Would ya mind if I grab some?"

"For free?"

Akihito gives some thinking to this unexpected question and comes up with a deal that seems fair from his point of view.

"I know! For each day you'll let me grab some fruits I'll give you one of my feathers to colour your day. Whaddya think?"

"If I want your feathers to colour my... enclosure, I just have to bite your tail off right now... What. Do. You. Think?"

Not showing any sign of alarm or fear, the brave bird spreads both his wings as wide as possible to show the teasing feline the whole variety of colours he has to offer and states in a slightly reproachful voice.

"And what about the surprise, huh?!"

"The surprise?"

"Yup. Woudn't it be nice to have everyday the surprise of the colour I'll bring to your world?"

"......"

"Oh OK. To make it an even better deal for you, I'll also pat your head each time I'll grab a fruit. So?"

"Why would you pat my head?"

"Well, because cats like to have their head patted, right?"

"Cats?"

"Hm? Aren't you a cat?... Though a big one for sure, that I can see.... but you're no dog, right?"

This little bird was not only cheeky but also very funny. Asami was starting to think that he could let him stay here for a while. He could still kill him in a second, when he would grow tired of him. A surprising remark of Aki whispered to himself cuts off his thought.

"Oh my, she said you don't like sweet stuff, so I thought it'll be an easy deal. Let me think a little more about this to find somethin' more I could give you."

"She?"

_*Oops!*_ Akihito pretends he did not hear the panther's question and looks on his right as if he was still looking for a solution to make a deal about the fruits.

A dangerous paw threatens to pine the young bird to the ground, but a loud and pleading "Asami!" stops the panther's move. He looks to where his name was called so firmly but so tenderly at the same time.

On the other side of the large zoo's pathway, there she stands beautiful and strong despite all the seasons she has already seen vanish, proudly wearing some silver hair shining among her yellow fur, the Queen of the Sun's Hunting Daughters: Nala, the eldest of the lionesses here that had to the surprise of everyone in the zoo taken under her protection the two babies of Ilta¤, the black panther, which had arrived on the same day than her in this zoo and sadly did not survive to her giving two beautiful and healthy cubs to the world.

Right behind his adoptive mother, Asami sees the impressive figure of the one that had agreed to follow his female's whim protecting and raising the young panthers as if they were his own cubs until the growing black panthers were having too much trouble to bear the way the lions were living together and they were separated from them.

Asami had always noticed that from the other side of the fence, Nala was silently watching over him and his sister. Even more when Beltza* had fallen sick until that fateful night when she passed away, her caring heart bleeding in silence for her beloved children.

So she was still watching him from afar, even now that he had grown used to be alone in this world. He was a black panther, so to be alone  was something natural for him and no burden at all like it would be for Nala. And even if he could not tell why exactly, he knows that one way or another, Nala was the reason this cheeky bird came here today. She was probably worried that he might feel lonely. She was wrong. He was not missing a presence for a presence. He was missing Beltza because she was his beloved sister.

But he could not kill the bird in front of Nala, now that he feels she is the one sending him. He lowers his head to the ground and locks eyes with the little intruder.

"What are you exactly?"

"Me?"

Akihito lets out a strange sound as if he was trying to clear his throat.

"Mmmh how should I put it simply so that you get it right away?... I am a bird..."

"I would not have guessed that."

Ignoring the teasing tone of the feline, Aki resumes his explanation.

"But not an average bird. I only cross the path of those that might need me in some way."

The bird stops there and after waiting for a moment for any further explanation, Asami, not really getting what he was implying, says coldly.

"You seriously think that **_I_** could _need_ a small creature like you?"

"What I think is not the issue here. I am what you can call a 'Bird of Paradise'. I am here because someone's love for you was strong enough to make me fly to you."

"......"

"Oh never mind! I don't care if you believe me or not. Not even if you need me or not. I want these fruits over there and if you don't want any of my feathers in exchange, I won't give you any...."

He mumbles as he hops backwards.

"I was too soft when accepting to try to soothe a panther's pain. I am made for innocent children or creatures in need of some loving; I am not made to care about killers. So let me grab some fruits and we'll call it a day."

Asami watches Akihito flying up to the tree, engulfing some of the juicy fruits to the point of having his chest swelling to be three times bigger than normal and flying away over the fence, not looking back. Not even once.

His golden irises meet the worried eyes of Nala. He knows that she can read his eyes the way Beltza also could, so he turns around and slowly heads to the other side of the enclosure, behind the big rock, where he can be alone not caring if he gives off any vibe of loneliness or not.

 

 

*****

 

The next morning, when Asami walks close to the big tree to enjoy his usual catnap, he spots a striking purple feather lying there.

Asami looks around and then up, but no bird is to be seen. So he came back, when he was asleep. After all, what truly interested this cheeky bird was the tree with its fruit not him. But why did he leave a feather in exchange? The tree has no use for such thing even less than he does.

The black panther is still trying to figure out the meaning behind this, when he hears the fluttering sound he already is able to recognize immediately. A quick side glance to the fence let him know he is right. The colorful bird is here again. But why?

Akihito flies down but not too close to Asami, not too sure about the panther's mood today.

"Since I had no clue which colour you like best, I randomly chose one of my most beautiful feathers for yesterday's share of fruits. If you don't have any preference, I thought about a turquoise one for today’s? Whaddya think?"

As the panther remains silent, Aki decides to follow his first idea and pulls at a turquoise feather, trying to hold back his cry. This sure hurt way too much since it was for someone that did not give a damn about his feathers. He should have offered to bring him a flower instead. It would have coloured the panther's world just as well as his feathers. But it was too late now; he could not take his word back.

After putting the second feather close to the first one, the young bird flies up to the nearest branch and happily plucks a fruit as big as his head.  When he is done eating it, Aki starts flying away, but he has not even flapped his wings three times, when he hears the low voice of the panther whispering "Half of the deal again then?"

He has to admit that Asami is right. He has offered to give a feather and pat the panther's head too. But looking at the black aura surrounding the dangerous feline makes him realize that he has been a bit careless, when he has made this offer. But still he was not the kind to chicken out easily, so if this part of the deal meant the end of him, then it still was better than living as a liar.

He flies back to the black panther and lands softly on his head. To his surprise Asami did not even try to bite him, when he passed right in front of his mouth. He then realizes that it is not that easy to pat a head when you do not have hands, but manages to brush softly the black fur in between the ears with his head, rubbing genuinely his cheek against the soft hair.

 

 

*****

 

Since that summery morning, Akihito came flying to Asami as early as possible after the sunrise, colouring anew his world everyday and giving him a tender 'patting-rubbing' moment.

And every day, the joyful bird stayed a bit longer in the enclosure, hopping around, not only to enjoy the fruits to his heart's content, but playing in the bushes and water and even with Asami's tail sometimes.

And Asami surprised himself enjoying more and more the noisy but cute creature's presence and wanting him to stay even longer, blaming himself for feeling kind of lonely, whenever the sweet bird was flying away, discovering the yet unknown relief and warmth of welcoming someone back.

 

 

*****

 

As the leaves of the tree turned to red, Asami could not help but wonder if Akihito would still be coming here now that there were no fruit to enjoy anymore.

To his surprise, the lovely little bird kept coming to him every day, spending most of the time not too far from him, keeping his feathers on him now but still giving him some touch tenderness.

And as the snow laid her white mantle on the zoo, Aki became the only colorful detail warming up the rather monochromatic scenery, seeking warmth in the neck of his panther, rubbing his cheek against the black one to show how grateful he was to the feline bearing with his need.

 

 

*****

 

On the last day of December, Aki flew sooner than usual to the zoo; lead there by Nala's worried heart.

He finds Asami lying on his left side, breathing heavily, shivering though he is even warmer than normal. Helpless, Nala is watching from the other enclosure as her son suffers like Beltza had, for days, before dying.

Akihito first brings him some water with his beak, then pokes with it on Asami's head, tries to get on his nerves so that he will react to him, but nothing seems to work. The golden eyes do not even seem to see him now.

Feeling worry and sadness rising in him, Aki jumps on Asami's head and lies down on his cheek, his head resting on the half opened mouth.

"How dare you try to die on me?"

The desperate chirp echoes in Asami's brain, but he does not manage to make a single move. Feeling his panther motionless under him breaks Akihito's heart. A tiny tear rolls down only to fall on Asami's tongue.

The impossible sugared tear instantly cools down the black panther's weary body, chasing away the sudden fever that had invaded him during the night. The unknown disease that had stolen Beltza, had been miraculously defeated by the incredible bond that tied the powerful feline and his tiny flying heart.

 

 

*****

 

After that, Akihito refused to leave the enclosure at night and started to sleep on Asami's head.

He also started to live in the enclosure as if it was his home, still flying away sometimes, but never for too long.

 

 

_The End._

_-_-_-_

¤ Ilta: Night in Finnish ( <http://www.first-names-meanings.com/names/name-ILTA.html> )

* Beltza: Dark in Basque language.


End file.
